According to Barbara Walters, the show's creator and co-host, McCain told her at a recent Washington event he won't be appearing on the daily gabfest "any time soon."

"He had been on The View and was not very happy," Walters told a gathering at Syracuse University, according to Portfolio.com. "And when we walked out and I saw him I said, 'Senator, so nice to see you. I hope you'll come on The View again.' And he looked at me and said, 'Not anytime soon.'”

Appearing on the program at the height of his campaign for the White House, McCain was aggressively pressed on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's qualifications to be vice president, as well as negative campaign ads that several independent fact-checks had called downright misleading.

Walters specifically challenged Palin's reformist credentials, noting McCain has served in Washington for more than two decades and asking repeatedly, "Who's she going to reform, you?"

The Arizona senator is not the only member of the family who may have sour feelings toward the show. McCain's wife Cindy, after a contentious fall appearance of her own, declared that the co-hosts "picked our bones clean."

CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from The Best Political Team.

(CNN) – President Obama signs the economic stimulus bill into law. In the latest installment of CNN=Politics Daily, CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux looks at how the president marked a victory in Denver.

Plus: President Obama approves the concept of significant troop increase in Afghanistan to meet “urgent security needs.” CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr has the latest information on the deployment that could potentially double US forces in the region.

Finally: In his last weeks of office, Vice President Cheney was reportedly fuming over a decision by President Bush. CNN’s Brian Todd looks at the strained ties between the two leaders in their final days.

(CNN) – New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie picked up the support of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday, one more sign that the GOP establishment is coalescing around the former U.S. attorney as he hopes to unseat Democrat John Corzine.

Though Christie isn’t the only man running for the Republican nomination, he’s quickly cemented his status as the frontrunner since entering the race earlier this month, and has picked up the backing of hundreds of Republican state officials. Last week, he secured the endorsement of New Jersey’s former governor Tom Kean.

With Corzine looking vulnerable - he trailed Christie by six points in a recent Quinnipiac poll - prominent national Republicans like Giuliani are expected to lend their star power to the race.

Giuliani said his fellow former prosecutor is “a decisive leader who knows how to make the tough decisions.” He also praised Christie’s commitment to urban revitalization, a central plank of his gubernatorial bid.

(CNN) - Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele is following through on his pledge to pump cash into the special election race in New York’s 20th congressional district.

The RNC is spending $80,000 on a new television spot supporting GOP candidate Jim Tedisco, the New York assemblyman hoping to take back the seat for Republicans after Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed to the U.S. Senate.

A Republican win in the Northeast could boost party morale - and fundraising - as the GOP struggles to find its feet after last November’s losses.

Though the district traditionally leans Republican, Steele has attached serious symbolic importance to the seat. After traveling to New York to meet with state party officials last month, he called the race a “battle royale” and named the March 31 special election as a top priority before the focus turns to this fall’s gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey.

The Democrat in the race - venture capitalist Scott Murphy - went up with his first ad last week, but without the help of national party money.

(CNN) - As President Obama signed the $787 billion economic stimulus bill, Republicans offered mixed views on whether they believe it will ultimately be effective.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and House Republican Leader John Boehner both said the measure will fail to create jobs, while Florida Gov. Charlie Crist hailed the effects the bill will have on his state.

“At a time when Florida is facing historic economic challenges mirrored across the country, these federal stimulus dollars will help Florida meet critical needs in education, transportation and Medicaid," Crist said in a statement.

Other Republican governors have not been as supportive of the package, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"We’ll need to look at the federal funding on a case-by-case basis," Palin said in a statement.

And Boehner, who successfully led his party to universally oppose the measure in the House, called it a "raw deal for American families."

“Our nation is in recession, and responsible action is required to help our economy protect and create jobs. This isn’t it," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will meet with President Obama next week in the nation's capital.

(CNN) - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will be the first foreign leader to visit President Obama in Washington, the White House said Tuesday.

The Japanese leader will meet with the president next week at the White House to discuss a wide range of issues, including North Korea and the global economic crisis.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Japan Tuesday in her first stop on her Asian tour, calling on that country to increase its own stimulus spending as it faces its worst economic crisis in decades.

The Romneys are selling their ski retreat in Utah, as well as their home in Belmont, Massachusetts.

(CNN) - He has been estimated to be worth in excess of $250 million, but former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney may just be belt-tightening along with the majority of Americans.

Romney, the former business whiz and governor of Massachusetts, is looking to unload two of his four mansions, collectively valued in the currently-sour real estate market at close to $10 million.

The more expensive of the two homes is a 9,500 square foot cabin on 11 acres in Deer Valley, Utah, listed at $5.25 million. The property comes complete with 9.5 bathrooms and is entirely furnished with custom-made furniture. The real-estate Web site Zillow.com describes the 10-year-old ski cabin as the "perfect retreat" with "several gathering areas [that] provide enough space for lots of family and/or guests."

Also on the market is the Romneys' chief residence in the posh suburban Boston neighborhood of Belmont, where most home prices run well into the millions. The Romney house, which comes with a tennis court and 2.5 acres of land, has yet to be listed, though the Boston Globe estimates the price will be set at $3 million - $1 million less than what the home was worth 2 years ago.

The new troop deployment is expected to include 8,000 Marines headquartered from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as well as 4,000 additional Army troops from Fort Lewis, Washington. The troops will be equipped with Stryker vehicles able to operate in southern Afghanistan's tough terrain, according to the Pentagon officials.

The Obama administration has been conducting several reviews of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, including a review by Gen. David Petraeus, the commander in the region.

A majority of voters don't approve of how Paterson handled the appointment of Hillary Clinton's successor.

(CNN) - New York Gov. David Paterson could face a bruising primary challenge should current New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo decide to run.

A new Quinnipiac poll out Tuesday shows the New York governor losing to Cuomo by a 2-1 margin in a primary battle, 55 percent to 23 percent.

The same poll found 45 percent of New Yorkers approve of how Paterson is handling his job as governor, while 41 percent do not.

Should Paterson make it to the general election, the survey also shows him tied with Republican Rudy Giuliani at 43 percent each.

Paterson's low numbers follow controversy over his decision-making process in picking Kirsten Gillibrand as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's successor in the Senate. Just 35 percent approve of how the process played out while 52 percent disapprove, according to the poll.

The poll surveyed 1,065 New York State registered voters and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. It was conducted between Febuary 10-15.

(CNN) - Two of the biggest names in Ohio Democratic politics launched campaigns for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, setting up a high-profile primary battle for the right to face off against Republican Rob Portman in 2010.

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher are both seeking the seat left open by Republican senator George Voinovich, who announced his retirement in January.

Brunner, perhaps best known outside Ohio for involvement in voter registration lawsuits in the weeks before to the 2008 presidential election, announced her bid this afternoon in email and web video sent to supporters.

Citing her experience as a small business owner and taking cues from President Obama’s economic recovery plan, she sketched a rough plan for job creation in a state with an unemployment rate approaching 8 percent.